Hi All,
I had a Robotic Assisted Hysterectomy on April 26, 2012. The day I went back to work post op (2 weeks) I woke up with extreme vertigo and nausea. It lasted all day, then came back about 5 days later. That round lasted over week, and this morning I'm finally feeling like I'm not not on a small boat at high seas.
I visited my regular doctor, and then an ENT, as I have had problems with this issue intermittently before. When it happens, it begins as soon as I get out of bed. The ENT couldn't figure out what was wrong, and has suggested further testing.
I asked him point blank if this could be due to the surgery and he told me no.
After doing a ton of research on the Internet, I think his answer should have been "maybe".
I don't know about you all, but I took a lot of pain meds after the surgery. The surgery was a little more difficult than expected because of the number, size and position of my fibroids. My surgeon nearly switched to an abdominal hysterectomy mid surgery, and needed to make more incisions than normal. Besides the pain meds I was prescribed, I also took a lot of additional ibuprofen.
I discovered through research that aspirin and NSAIDs can cause vertigo. I've completely cut myself off from ibuprofen for the next couple of weeks.
Also, the balance system is an intricate mesh of three different systems of the body, the inner ear being one of them. If one system isn't working properly, the other two try to compensate.
Since my surgery, the skin on my legs is numb. It makes shaving interesting.
My GYN told me it was normal and would eventually subside. However, I've been reading that the brain isn't quite sure what to do with numbness in the legs. It registers that something is wrong, which can cause vertigo and imbalance.
I'm sharing this because 1) others might be experiencing this and are worried, and 2) an ENT is not a specialist in hysterectomies. Totally different part of the anatomy.
I decided to skip the extra testing for now. I am considering seeing a chiropractor though if it returns, especially if my legs still feel numb.